EMILIA Fox, 35, is the daughter of actor Edward Fox and actress Joanna David. She lives in London and is expecting her first child, with boyfriend Jeremy Gilley.

If I could change anything about myself I’d... have continued to play the cello. I started lessons aged four and my parents knew the famous cellist Jacqueline Du Pré. I remember once scraping out The Sailor’s Hornpipe for her, when I had no idea who she was. It must have been torture.

Not a lot of people know this but I’m very good at... wake boarding – it’s a cross between surfing and waterskiing. I’ve always been appalling at sport but at last I’ve found something I can do.

You may not know it but I’m no good at... reading maps. Thank God for TomTom.

To wake myself up I... set two alarms. One by the bed and one where I have to get up to turn it off.

My grandma’s motto was ‘manners maketh the man’ and we had that drilled into us

Emilia Fox

My “happy place” is... Dorset. That’s where I grew up and I have so many happy childhood memories.

My best friend is... Lara Cazalet, who I’ve known since we were 13. We see each other most days and talk every day. She’s an incredibly talented singer and actress.

The best thing my parents taught me is... good manners. My grandma’s motto was “manners maketh the man” and we had that drilled into us.

I always try to avoid... garlic and raw onions.

My greatest weakness is… salt-and-vinegar crisps.

I drive... the same car I bought when I passed my test in 2000. It’s a VW Golf and I’m so attached to it, it’s like a mobile home.

The song I can never get out of my head is... Video Killed The Radio Star by The Buggles.

When I was a child I wanted to be... my sister Lucy. She was always so glamorous and funny. She’s 15 years older than me but we’re very close.

My biggest regret is... not making the most of my time at Oxford. I didn’t want to follow in my parents’ footsteps and be an actor, but while I was there I got a part in Pride and Prejudice, and that was that.

The most expensive thing I’ve ever frittered money on is... a pair of Gucci boots. They cost an absolute fortune but I’m very good at looking after shoes. I once took a pair of Louboutins that I’d had for 15 years to be resoled, and

they were so amazed at how spick and span they were that they resoled them for free as a present. It’s a trait I inherit from my dad – he still has suits he wore when he was in his 20s, and shoes that were his grandfather’s that now my brother is wearing.

My favourite place in Britain is…Butterfly World, just outside St. Albans. I love butterflies.

On my last holiday I went to... Ibiza, but I think I had a very different experience from most people that go there. I was in bed by 9pm most nights.

I am currently reading… The Girl Who Played with Fire, the second book in the Millennium crime trilogy by Stieg Larsson.

The best day of my life... was my brother’s birthday in April this year, because my mum seemed significantly better after being unwell for about a year and a half. There just seemed to be a breakthrough that day.